Vamos a Oaxaca (land flowing with shopping and buffets)

 Oaxaca

On Thursday, we packed up and went for Oaxaca. Fortunately, this time, I woke up earlier and brought money. A good start!

As you may (or may not) know, we went down there during the time of Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos (more on that later). The first night there, we saw a procession of people dressed up in all kinds of costumes. Then we ate pizza.  Lots of pizza.

The next day, we went to Monte Alban. I don't know much of its history (something about the Zapotecas a few years ago), but boy is it beautiful. GoogleImage it or just stay tuned:

Three words, five syllables: Y.M.C.A.

 A guy I met in the Monte Alban museum, gotta love the beard.

Then we went to Hierve el Agua (translated Boil Water, but it sounds better in Spanish). It's a petrified waterfall with natural pools. Felt good to feel at home again with the sun and water.

 Well that's pretty neat.

It's a LOT bigger in real life, I swear.

Ay carumba, she's a beaut.

During the trip, we went to four talleres (workshops kinda). First, Mezcal (an alcoholic beverage), then tapetes (fancy rugs) and other hand-made fabrics, then barro negro (hand-made pottery) and lastly calavera (the plates with white and blue, also made by hand). I would like to tell you what I bought, but I don't wanna ruin a perfectly good surprise. It was really fascinating to see people at their work and the amount of time and precision it took to do it.

 (right) Tapete man







(below) Barro negro, all hand-made

Also during the trip, we went to three Buffets! Talk about heaven for a hungry 20 year-old lad such as I. I went crazy, eating 8 plates at one of the buffets. I tried chapulines (crickets), conejo (bunny) and pato (duck). Lots of new experiences.

Speaking of new experiences, I watched my second ever salida del sol, or "sunrise" in layman's terms. On a nature-deprived semester such as this, it was a great reminder of the power and beauty God displays through nature.

I sure do love la naturaleza. That's the city of Oaxaca, folks. 

On a deep note, we went to a Panteon to see how Mexicans celebrate Day of the Dead. We talked with a few families there, and it was more than interesting. Here's a pic (Pablo Lopez y su esposa):

 In Mexico, talking about death is not taboo. It's celebrated as a way to remember the one who passed. It amazed me that the people were remembering their loved ones but took the time to happily tell us more about their beliefs and Dia de Los Muertos in general. I think we could find a balance between celebrating death and refusing to talk about it, because the truth is that it's gonna happen to all of us (last time I checked, it's batting 1.000). I could write a full essay about this (actually just wrote a 3.5-pager, due Friday), but those are the thoughts I'll leave you with.

to Halloween or not to Halloween? don't ask these angsty 20 year-olds (Erin and Besty)

Side Note

Three things I lost on the trip:

1) My camera (hardly worth anything, but thanks Kara and Emily for the photos)

2) My Chevy hat (lots of good memories, skin cancer to follow)

3) A small comb for my beard (only 15 pesos, but it said Oaxaca on it so I'm a bit bummed)

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P.S.

Just a treat for those that actually take the time to read (or skim) my whole blog. Job well done! 

The three men of WIM 2013, and a very big wooden hand.